Press freedom and peace

World Press Freedom Day is marked this May 3 as UNESCO reports that press freedom is experiencing its steepest decline since 2012. UNESCO compares it to the decline seen during the most volatile periods of the 20th century – the two world wars and the Cold War.

In marking this special day, UNESCO has pointed out: “By fostering access to reliable information, accountability, dialogue and trust, press freedom and independent journalism are key to peace, economic recovery, sustainable development, and human rights.”

Independent media is facing challenges on multiple fronts, including online and legal harassment, information manipulation that is now facilitated by artificial intelligence, and economic pressures posed by shifting modes of information consumption.

Reports and commentaries of journalists go through several layers of fact-checking and tests for fairness before being released on multiple platforms, to make the information as reliable as possible without losing freshness.

Personal risks are often taken by journalists to obtain information. In several countries, journalists face government repression including long-term imprisonment for reporting the truth. Legal and regulatory processes are weaponized to intimidate and silence the press.

The Philippines itself, despite being a democratic republic, is listed among the world’s most dangerous places for journalists.

While there has been no repeat of the killing of media workers on the same scale as the 2009 massacre in Maguindanao, journalists across the country continue to be murdered in connection with their work. The failure to prosecute or catch the killers in many of the cases has kept the country high on the Global Impunity Index.

Economic pressures from the changing information consumption landscape are compounding the challenges faced by independent media.

That evolving landscape in fact calls for a stronger press, to counter misinformation and malicious content. An independent and viable press provides facts that help people navigate the mountain of junk in the digital space. During elections, the press helps people make informed choices, without which a free vote is undermined.

Like many civil liberties, the exercise of press freedom by independent media is like air: you miss it only when it’s curtailed or gone. As highlighted by the theme of this special day, press freedom helps shape a future of peace.